


Lost

by hkl_129



Category: Criminal Minds (US TV)
Genre: Complete, Gen, Team Fluff, Team as Family
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-28
Updated: 2020-08-28
Packaged: 2021-03-07 02:14:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,687
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26149282
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hkl_129/pseuds/hkl_129
Summary: A casual call to her friend turned into a weird situation regarding the BAU, and she is going to get to the bottom of it. ONE-SHOT
Kudos: 9





	Lost

A sudden ring startled her in the unusually quiet office.

“FBI, Technical Analyst, Penelope Garcia speaking.”

“Pen? What’s with the formal greeting?” JJ, surprised at having no special Garcia greeting that she was so accustomed to.

She looked over her shoulder to check if that no one’s there, then whispered, “JJ? Since you left, Hotch has been possessed! He is going crazy and exploding on everyone!!!”

“Whoa, calm down Pen. What do you mean Hotch’s gone crazy?”

“I don’t know, but one day after you left, he just snapped! Maybe it’s the stress?” She hears footsteps nearing her opened office, “Wait, he’s coming, bye!” She quickly hung up her call, leaving JJ extremely confused.

“TA Garcia.” Hotch said as he knocked on her door and walked right in.

“Yes Sir.” Garcia, now dressed in much more modest clothing than before, stood up as she readied herself for Hotch’s command.

“I need the completed report for the Jones case on my desk by noon, today.” They had just closed that case yesterday, and the reports from the local PD aren’t even in yet.

“But Sir... I still have the other cases...”

“Noon.” And with that he walked out, and Garcia had no choice but to get to work.

* * *

JJ, confused after Garcia’s sudden hang up, decided to call the Morgan to find out what is going on.

“FBI BAU, SSA Derek Morgan speaking.”

“Uhhh, hey Morgan, it’s JJ?” Floored by the extremely formal greeting, although Morgan is less crazy than Garcia, he often responded with only his last name, keeping it short and simple.

“JJ?” Checking to see Hotch wasn’t in his office, and whispered “Why are you calling?”

“Uhh... I called Garcia just now and she said something about Hotch being possessed and hung up on me before I can ask her anything?” She said unsurely, why the hell are they acting so strange?

“Oh.” he checked again for Hotch, seeing him starting to walk back from Garcia’s office, “Sorry JJ, I gotta go.” and hung up on her. As Hotch stopped beside his desk, he greeted him. “SSA Hotchner, Sir.”

“SSA Morgan. I still have not received the reports for the last two cases, including the Jones case, from you. You are on probation until every report is completed.” And he swiftly left after that.

Seething with barely controlled anger, Morgan went to work on his reports.

* * *

After being hung up on, twice, that morning, JJ is thinking something is definitely weird with the two of them. _Maybe it’s the two of them playing a prank on you. It is Garcia and Morgan._ So deciding to figure this out, JJ called Emily.

“FBI BAU, SSA Emily Prentiss speaking.”

“Uhh... Hey Em, it’s JJ.” Okay, maybe it’s not just Garcia and Morgan.

“JJ?” She, too checked to make sure Hotch is not looking in the bullpen, and whispered “Why are you calling?”

“What’s up with Garcia and Morgan?” She asked straight away.

“Wait,” She sees Hotch glancing into the bullpen, “Bye!” and hung up on her.

Okay... Something is definitely wrong. _But it could be them making a joke on you._

* * *

Deciding to try Spence, he probably will tell her what’s going on, he can’t refuse her, never can and never will, so she dialed his number.

He answered on the first ring, “FBI BAU, SSA Dr. Spencer Reid speaking.”

“Hey Spence, tell me what’s going on.” Sighing, she figured there probably is indeed something wrong.

“JJ?” he glanced up to Hotch’s office, “Why are you calling? Hotch is requiring us to be _professional_ now. He has been like that since you left, I think it is a coping mechanism in case anyone else is forced out of the BAU, so he wouldn’t be hurt again.” He quickly spewed out, but seeing movement in Hotch’s office, he quickly said “Rescue us, JJ! Bye!”

So now she has an idea of what is going on, but is still confused, Hotch isn’t someone to take out his emotions on others, especially the BAU team. Maybe Rossi can give her some answers, _he is the one person who is not going to be afraid of Hotch?_

* * *

She dialed Rossi’s number, and he answered on the third ring, “Rossi.”

She sighed in relief, at least Rossi is normal. “Hey Rossi, it’s JJ.”

“JJ?” he whispered, “Wait a sec.” he quickly stood up and closed his office door. “Okay, it’s clear. What do you need?”

“Oh uhhh, so I called Garcia this morning and she said something about Hotch being possessed or something, and hung up. So I called Morgan and he also hung up on me, and Emily too. Then when I called Spence, he said to rescue them? Then he also hung up on me. Now I have dealt with a lot of difficult police officers and bureaucratic knots, but this is something on an entirely new level.” she quickly vented to him.

“Okay, JJ. I’ll tell you what? How about you come to the BAU today, you’ll be my visiter.”

“No Rossi, you tell me right now!” she almost shouted at him.

“Text me when you arrive. See you later, JJ.” and hung up on her.

Although she is not sure if the rest of team is playing a prank on her, she is pretty sure _Rossi_ is messing with her. She contemplated on calling Hotch, they did have a special relationship when she was in the BAU, but judging by the way the team talked about him this morning, she thought maybe it will be better to pay a surprise visit than to call him.

* * *

She quickly stood from her desk in the Pentagon and headed to Secretary Jackson’s office, in the short time she had been here, she is already her favorite, so this shouldn’t be hard. Hearing her invitation, she walked in.

“Ma’am, can I take a personal day today? I have some business I need to take care of.”

“Do I even want to know?” Secretary Jackson raised an eyebrow at her, JJ is already known to use some pretty _unusual_ methods to sort out bureaucratic knots, but she is nothing but effective, and that’s all that matter.

Chuckling, she answered “No.”

“Take the time you need, but I expect you to catch up what you missed today by the end of tomorrow.” She nodded at her and looked back to the paperwork on the desk.

“I will, Ma’am. Thank you.” She quickly stepped out of the office, passing her desk, she grabbed her things and headed straight for her car.

* * *

Arriving at the BAU, all the memories of the time she spent here flooded her mind. Remembering that Rossi told her to text him, she quickly did that as she passed security.

“JJ?” she looked up from her phone to see the familiar security guard, she has spent way too many nights here for him not to recognize her.

“Hey Wilson, how are you?” she smiled at him.

“I’m great! It’s really good to see you again, we all miss you here. How are you?” he smiled back at her. She always brightened everybody’s day.

“I’m great! But I’m just visiting today, I work at the State Department now.” she responded as she picked her things back up from the security scan.

“Well, we all miss you.” he sounded a little sad now.

“I know, I miss all of you too. See you later, Wilson.” she said as she left the security.

“See you, JJ.” She has a higher clearance now than she did when working in the BAU, so when he checked her badge for protocol, she is still cleared to enter.

As the elevator signaled she arrived on the 6th floor, she took a deep breath and walked out, seeing Rossi already waiting for her right outside the doors leading to the bullpen. She immediately asked him, “You want to tell me why I came all the way here now, Rossi?”

“I’ll explain in my office, just keep you head down until then.” he mysteriously whispered to her. Before she could ask why, he quickly walked in, and so she followed him, doing as she was told.

* * *

As soon as he closed the door, JJ rounded on him “What the _hell_ is going on here?”

“Shhhhh,” he made a motion for her to lower her voice, then peeked through his window blinds. “Hotch is a little irritable these days, I think it has something to do with how he couldn’t stop you from being transferred.”

“But it isn’t his fault.” she interrupted

“I know, but he still blames himself, and now he is taking out on the team. He told us we need to be more _professional_ , and guessing from what you told me, you probably have an idea.” He calmly explained to her.

“Yea, all of them except you answered their phone stating their ranks and full name, then when they realized it was me, they all whispered and then hung up, saying something about Hotch being nuts.” she started recounting her weird morning.

“Yep, he told them to do that or they’re on probation, reports are not allowed to be submitted late or they’re on probation, even Garcia’s wardrobe and office has to be altered. I’m not afraid of him, but it seems like I’m the only one.” checking off his fingers as he repeated Hotch’s newest demands for her.

“He really has gone crazy?” she looked straight into his eyes, and he nodded “I thought it was only some joke they decided to play on me.”

“I’m afraid not, kiddo.” he sighed.

“Then I’ll give him a piece of my mind!” and she stormed out of his office, heading straight to Hotch’s.

* * *

Still maintaining her composure from years of practice, she knocked on his door, but instead of a casual ‘come in’ she was used to, she was greeted with a much more blunt response.

“Unless it’s a completed report to be submitted, Agent, I suggest you return to all your incomplete paperwork!!” She heard her shout through the door.

Opening the door and leaning on the frame, she responded with her arms crossed on her chest. “Well, it’s a good thing then that I no longer have to submit any reports to you, nor am I behind on any paperwork.”

Only then did he look up from his desk, his face as if he’s seen a ghost.

Taking his shocked expression as a cue to continue on, she said “What is the matter with you?”

“JJ... I... Uh...” He is suddenly lost for words.

“You what, Aaron?” she pushed.

“What are you doing here?” He tried to play dumb.

“Seems to me that I had to purposefully take a day off to straighten some things out, right?” He at least have the decency to look guilty. “So, care to tell me now?” He looked behind her, and see that by now the entire BAU is watching from the bullpen.

“Can we talk privately?” He asked timidly, so out of character for him.

She looked behind her, and saw all the BAU members looking at them, but with one look, she sent them back to their duties again. She closed the door and sat right in front of his desk. “Sit.” He sat back down. “Now explain.”

So Hotch started explaining his feelings and actions etc., and JJ listened to him without interrupting, her commanding presence is enough to make Hotch spill his guts to her even though he wanted nothing more than to stay in boss-mode and tell her to mind her own damn business.

“I was lost after they forced your transfer, and I should’ve protected you from being taken away, but they still forced your transfer, and I know you relied on me to take care of it, and even though you declined it yourself, I should’ve stopped it, and now the team is a mess because you are gone, and I don’t know what to do with them anymore, and everyone's lost after you left, but mostly me, and I just don’t want to feel lost again in case they get snatched away too and I know making them be more professional is hurting them, but I just don’t think we can go on being a family if I can’t even protect you, it’s the most basic thing a family should do, so if I can’t protect you, I can’t protect them, and if we are not a family, then it will be easier when something like this happens again...”

Hotch is babbling, _Hotch_ , the big bad BAU Unit Chief who doesn’t show any emotions, is _babbling_.

“Hotch!” she finally interrupted him, “Pull yourself together!” she saw him look up from his hands behind the desk, “I don’t blame you,” she said softly, “But what you are doing to the team is hurting them, and pushing them away is not going to ease the love you have for them.” She leaned forward and looked into his eyes, “We are family, and sometimes there are things that happen even when we don’t want it to happen, but it’s nobody’s fault, we are still a family! Okay?” He nodded like a small child, “And a family should lean on each other when something bad happens, not pushing away, right?” he nodded again, “So you should apologize to them.” he sighed, but nodded to her anyway. She stood up and walked to the door, turning to him right before she opened it, “Conference room in 3 minutes, I’m counting.” and walked out.

* * *

As soon as she opened the door, she saw everyone, including Garcia who shouldn’t even be in the bullpen area at this time, scrambling back to their desks, trying to look like they’ve been focusing on their work all along. She chuckled, this is all too similar to the last time she was in Hotch’s office, “BAU team, conference room in 3 minutes!” she said as she headed to find Rossi leaning on his door frame.

“You’d think profilers would cover better than that.” they chuckled, “So I guess it worked, huh?” He asked her.

“We’ll see.” and she walked past him and into the conference room, waiting for everyone to arrive.

* * *

As everyone arrive in the conference room one by one, each starting to say something to her when they entered, but another look from her shut them right up. Hotch arrived last, and closed the door behind him. JJ sent him an encouraging look, and he began. “I’m sorry everyone. I know I have been very irritated lately, and although it’s because I’m dealing with JJ being forced to transfer and I can’t do anything about it, I shouldn’t have taken out on all of you, and I’m sorry. I’ll do anything to make it up to you guys.”

JJ sat there with a smug look on her face. Morgan looked between Hotch and JJ,again surprised by the things Pennsylvania Petite has up her sleeve. Reid beamed up at JJ. Emily looked relieved. Garcia looked close to tears, only JJ capable of pulling off another miracle. And Rossi look proudly at how the team came together as a family again.

“You guys take the rest of the day off.” JJ demanded as she looked pointedly at Hotch and Rossi, who both sighed in defeat. “Guess drinks are in order?” she suggested, “Hotch is buying,” ignoring his protesting look, “and he will be singing too.” stopping his objection with a stare, “Anything to make up to them, right Hotch?” They all laughed as he pretended to protest and be angry with her, but the problem is that he is just glad she is here. And slowly, he break a smile too as the team headed out to the bar together.

They all love her, even though they know she can personally kick everyone’s ass and keep each one of them in line, this little incident with Hotch just proved that. And even though she doesn’t work with them everyday anymore, she is still their family, and family cherish moments like these with each other.


End file.
